


Backlash

by bexacaust



Category: The Transformers (IDW Generation One)
Genre: Brainstorm As The Voice Of The People, M/M, Other, Rodimus Fwhomping
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-18
Updated: 2018-12-18
Packaged: 2019-09-21 21:09:40
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,499
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17050619
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bexacaust/pseuds/bexacaust
Summary: Pride goeth before a fall.But a little tussling never did any lasting damage, right?





	Backlash

_You want me,_   
_Come find me._   
_Make up your mind._

 

It started simply.

It all began with Drift, Rodimus, and a teaching match. The Captain was well versed in fistfighting, after growing up in Nyon- but Drift couldn't help his displeasure at a few... Underhanded tactics the Captain had no problem resorting to. Being who he was, he took it upon himself to show Rodimus a few things about honorable engagement. A fairly normal encounter- until Perceptor walked in with Brainstorm alongside him to pick some of of the audial covers needed at the firing range.

Drift lit up with a grin. Surely, Perceptor was a perfect candidate to show Rodimus how not to insist on palming a blade in a fistfight.

"Percy!"

Stoic ignoring.

"Percy, I know you can hear me."

Brainstorm winced as Perceptor turned, and answered with a tone clocked at subzero temperatures, "How can I help you, Drift."

The swordsmech either ignored the tone of voice, or simply didn't notice as he waved the sniper over to his and Rodimus's practice area. Brainstorm trailed slightly behind, already lining up comms just in case of an.. incident involving the icy sniper's temper and Drift's occasionally tone deaf spiritualism. Drift slung an overly familiar armaround Perceptor's shoulders, pointedly ignoring the frown on the scientist's face as he did so, "So Percy, I thought you could help me out in showing Rodimus proper hand-to-hand."

"Is that a wise position to put yourself in with me."

"Perceptor, come on. What's past is in the past, right?", said Drift with a wide smile not returned by Perceptor's deadpan expression.

Rodimus swallowed awkwardly, "Uh.. Drift? Buddy? Laaaaast time Perceptor looked like, uh, that? Someone straight up died."

Drift rolled his optics with his smile widening, "Percy's not that bad, Roddy, c'mon now. Anyway, Perce, what d'you say huh? A quick tussle to teach a young punk a few pointers?"

"Forgive me, Drift, but the last 'tussle' we had resulted in you vanishing for how long again?"

Drift winced at the statement, visibly ignoring Rodimus's raised eyebrows and crossed arms, "Perce, c'mon. For old times sake? I mean- hey, look, we're gettin' a crowd. Let yourself show off; self-love and appreciation of one's own skills is important for spiritual balance you know."

Sure enough, a small audience was sneaking in- Ratchet, Blaster, Swerve, and a few others Perceptor couldn't quite make out were trickling in one by one in single file and taking spots up against the wall.

"No guns, no swords? Like the barkeep's rules?", wheedled Drift before Perceptor's smile slowly faded into a sly existence. He plucked Drift's rm from around his shoulder, uncaring of the chuffed noise from the swordsmech, and let the white arm drop and he flicked imaginary dust from his chestplate.

"Very well, Drift. A quick, how did you say it- tussle? And then I have an appointment for weapons testing at the firing range."

"Perfect. Alright Rodimus, pay close attention."

"I'll be paying attention alright.", laughed the Captain, "You sure you know what you're getting into here?"

"Of course I do.", said Drift, his chest puffing up slightly, "Me and Perce have thrown down a few times- to varying degrees of success."

The wink directed at Perceptor earned him an eyeroll as the new audience settled and readied themselves to watch a very, very interesting matchup. Perceptor and Drift walked to the center of the training mats, standing face to face. Perceptor cracked his knucklejoints, optics lidded and dim as Drift stretched each leg in turn. With a short laugh, Drift put a hand on one white hip and grinned with a show of fang.

"You ready Perceptor? I'll go easy on you, I promise."

"You never have before, I don't expect you too now- Unless I truly am so intimidating.", Perceptor's smile was like ice when he looked up, shifting his footing and tilting his helm slightly, "Well? Just going to stand there and stare? I know you've always had a thing for my waist, but we ARE in public."

Drift sputtered a bit at the line delivered in menthol-cool tones, before he shook his helm and huffed, "Yeah, yeah..."

And he pounced, leaping to take Perceptor out low as the sniper seemed to almost slide out of the way and let Drift crash into the mat. The swordsmech was on his pedes in a moment, darting to Perceptor's blindside and bounding to catch him around that aforementioned waist to topple him- When Perceptor's curled hands flashed down, slamming into the swordsmech's spinal strut and sending him belly-down on the floor with a cough and a wheeze.

A low "Ooh.", sounded from the gathered audience as Perceptor's pedesteps tapped lightly away from Drift before stopping.

"I'm waiting, or are you still truly that quick to fire off?"

"PERCY.", snapped Drift with a quick glare.

"WHAT.", was the answering snap, "It was a simple QUESTION. Are we done?"

"Not by a long shot, sniper.", growled Drift at the tiny dig to his pride as he got to his feet and settled into an appropriate stance.

"A pleasure to hear, swordsmech.", answered Perceptor icily; his servos clicked as he curled them into fists and brought them up like a boxer, "Come at me, glitchtom- and make it count."

The air soured from unresolved tension as they circled, Drift growling low in his chest and Perceptor staring a hole through the center of Drift's helm in clear challenge. They clashed in fits and bursts- one throwing the other leading to one dodging the blows aimed at them until Drift got a lucky feint in; resulting in him getting the opening he needed to turn Perceptor while catching him in a headlock. The sniper's back bent gracefully backwards as Drift tried to force him to the mat.

And the Perceptor rebounded with a barked laugh, pushing up straight to haul Drift off of his pedes. The swordsmech tried to hook his legs around Perceptor's waist to no avail; his bulky leg armor preventing him from getting a secure hold before Perceptor reach back over his shoulder's gripped tight to Drift's spinal armor.

Aristocratic servos dug into seams and hauled hard; Drift swore loudly as he went over the sniper's helm and slammed back first onto the mat with a resounding thud that echoed in the room and knocked the wind out of his respiration system. He coughed hard as his back arched off the floor in an attempt to ease the pain radiating from his now-sore spinal strut before Perceptor's low-heeled pede pressed hard on the swordsmech's chestplate to pin him in a gesture with connotations that rang out of the realm of combat.

Perceptor put a hand on a dark hip, looking down at Drift as he held the swordsmech down a with a pede.

"Checkmate, white knight.", he murmured before he chuckled and looked up Rodimus, "Have you learned anything?"

Rodimus wheezed out of his vents, coughing a few sparks before managing to speak, "Y-Yeah, uh, you could. You could say I learned something. Mostly about myself, but I digress."

Perceptor laughed, a broken crystal sound before he looked back down to Drift with his helm tilted just so to offset his coy smile, "And you, Drift."

Drift narrowed his optics, "You've... improved."

"I've improved many things in your absence from my life, Drift.", was the sniper's smooth reply, "Good luck pondering what other skills I've perfected in our time apart- Ah, ah, ah Drift."

The swordsmech had tried to struggle to his feet, but Perceptor pushed him back down to his elbows with his pede to a white chest, "Stay down, Drift- I prefer seeing you at this angle, I must admit..."

Drift choked on a sound when Perceptor winked.

"Really brings out your... attitude."

The pede moved off of Drift's chest and the sniper laughed like a ghost, "I look forward to any other 'tussles' you'd like to attempt Drift. Perhaps next time we'll up the stakes the next time we see who's really on top."

Drift stayed where he was, in some kind of shock as he watched Perceptor walk away with a sway to his hips and his steps silent even on slick training mats. Brainstorm was wide-opticked and.. steaming, ever so slightly if the wavering outline around him was any indication. Perceptor ignored the surprised faces of the small audience as he returned to Brainstorm's side, "Shall we then?"

"Yeah, yes! Yes, of course, but, one question- what exactly do I have to do to get stepped on a little-"

"Brainstorm."

"Yes?"

"Don't make me shove you in one of those lockers along the wall."

"RUDE."

Rodimus looked to Drift, who had remained on the mat, "So... need a hand up, Mister Teacher Sensei Dude?"

Drift jolted suddenly, tearing his eyes away from Perceptor's retreating back, "I need a... cold rinse to clear my processor."

Rodimus watched him bustle off, and snorted, "Guess that means I'm on door watch, I'd figure."


End file.
